Overcome It All
by Seul Desir
Summary: If everyone you ever cared for died, how would you take it? Finished
1. Bearer of Bad News

*A/N: In some stories about Lara's plane crash, she is around 16 or 17. In this one, I didn't want to do that way, so I made her 21. Since she is older, she is already faced with the 'thugs' and assassins that she meets in all of her gaming adventures. Well, have fun reading! And please review!  
  
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Skiing in the mountains wore Lara out, but it also refreshed her. She had spent a wonderful holiday by the Himalayan Mountains, but now it was time to go back to the meaningless existence that had been bestowed upon her the fateful day she was born. Of course she didn't have to worry about family; no crowds of people disturbed Lara. In fact, Lara always loved being alone. For some reason she felt claustrophobic around other people. To feel the crisp snow underneath her skis warmed her inside, no matter how cold it was!  
  
She boarded the plane with her brown backpack slung over her shoulder and her 9 mms tucked safely in her inside coat pocket. Lara never went anywhere without a gun. She would never know when danger was lurking in the shadows. But this time, danger wouldn't be in human form...  
  
Lara reached her seat by the window and sat down. The flight was not crowded at all- She didn't notice. Lara pulled out her laptop and started to peck at the keys rapidly. She checked her note pad every once in a while, making absolutely sure she was typing every word. (Not that she couldn't remember everything that had happened to her in the past week) but just in case.   
  
A flight attendant walked over to Lara and tapped her on the shoulder, "Miss," She said snootily." You have to turn that off!" Lara didn't seem to notice the lady standing there with her hands on her hips. "Miss!" The lady tapped her foot on the floor, as if she were annoyed. Lara peered from over her rose glasses for only a moment to look at the rather tall, blonde lady next to her. Lara was not one to take orders from anyone. No one could tell her what to do! Lara simply brushed the lady's words off. But she casually saved her typing, and switched off the laptop.  
  
The British looking woman looked satisfied and walked away (after she gave a smug grin). Lara never wanted that flight attendant to think that she was taking orders! So, Lara reached for her laptop again and plugged it in. The flight attendant walked over to her and said in a sweet voice, " Ma'am, if you do not turn that off we will have problems with our system!" Then in a more disrespectful tone, "So if you don't mind, you need to turn that bloody contraption off!" The lady finished with her eyebrows raised, and hands on her hips. Lara decided the lady wasn't worth speaking to, but she began quietly but firmly, "Then, for my safety and the safety of everyone kind on this flight, I will turn it off. Not because you told me to." Lara ended, and turned off her laptop. Then she thought, 'I thought I was the only one who gave British girls a bad name!'  
  
Now the flight had started and they were flying over the gorgeous, snow covered Himalayan Mountains. Lara opened her window and scanned the territory- nothing but endless land and snow- the most beautiful things ever. Closing her eyes, Lara remembered the terrain that she had crossed on foot, the jagged cliffs that she had scaled. Yes, the mountains were a wonderful getaway. Breathing in the cold air that seemed to seep out of the glass window, Lara opened her eyes sat back in her chair.  
  
Now, flying never bothered Lara, but screaming little kids did! "You can't make me!" Screamed the foolish little child, "I hate you!" Lara raised an eyebrow and thought, "If, if, that were my child, he'd be on the assault course for three hours straight." She smiled at her suggestion, but then shuddered as the screaming started again.   
  
If Lara weren't so responsible, she would have blown that little kid away with her silenced pistol. But she enjoyed the flight. At least until the flight attendants started serving lunch...  
  
She now knew what the lady's name was, Jen. "Hmm." Lara thought, "Not exactly a name for someone as pigheaded as her, but..." Her train of thought was disrupted by Jen offering her a drink ... rather nicely actually. Lara ordered a Pepsi with a slice of lemon and lime and watched as Jen smiled and handed her a napkin with her order. Jen walked away as Lara noticed some writing under the napkin...  
  
'The Plane will crash. The captain doesn't want anyone to know. I trust you, Miss Lara Croft, to keep this under raps. I'm sorry for the way I acted. I guess I give British girls a bad name sometimes!  
  
Jen' 


	2. Barrington

Lara read the first sentence again, and again. She saw Jen wink at her, and try to smile; she was none to successful in this. Lara knew exactly what would happen if they crashed in the Himalayas. "I didn't know my first mission would be so soon." She grinned, not at the fact that she had a .1% chance of living, but at the fact that she had a dry sense of humor and only she could laugh at the "jokes" she made.  
  
Lara carefully placed four AA batteries in her laptop, and then shoved it into her bag. She unbuckled her seat belt and climbed over the two vacant seats next to her until she could reach up to the overhead storage bin, and yanked on her bag. Unsurprisingly, it was stuck.  
  
A man saw she was having trouble and walked over to her. He tugged at the bag and it came down. Lara did not like to be shown up, especially by men. She had spent all her life in a crude sexist world where men had power and women enjoyed the "luxury" of having a husband. She dared to defy the rules and paid the cruel price- Loneliness. Her family disowned her and she had no friends. She did have her butler, Jeeves; that was enough for her. Who had time for a settled life when there was so much wildness to be explored? She thought she would never understand.  
  
Returning from her thoughts she saw the man grin and hand her the bag, "Here ya go ma'am." He said in a disturbing manner. It wasn't that his voice was disturbing; it was his pronunciation and mannerism.  
  
Lara hated it when people called her "ma'am". She shuddered, managing to look quite stunning in the process. She despised the way he was so incorrect. He slouched when he walked and he smiled too much. Slang was too much for Lara. "Thank you." She replied, straightening. The man was still smiling! Lara didn't have problems with this way of emotion, but smiling wasn't called for in this conversation, or at this moment!  
  
"By the way," Lara turned to face the man more, "It's Miss Croft, not ma'am." She concluded. The smile was still there! "Well, Miss Croft, it was a pleasure meetin' you. Even though I don't think you think the same." How did he know what she thought? This made her angry! He thought he could read her mind and know exactly what was going on! Ridiculous. "I'm always glad to meet new people, but only if they are in the correct class as I. I don't tolerate ignorant or rude types." She finished with an angry snarl creeping up to her full lips. The man looked at her rather, excuse my choice of words but, weirdly. "You haven't even met me properly," He replied, "I'm David Barrington."  
  
Lara stood there waiting for more words to escape. Not a word. Unimpressed by his rather boring "title", she flung her bag into the chair next to hers. David still wouldn't keep quiet. "I'm from New York," He said," Where are you from Miss Croft?" Lara, not wanting to answer the question, did anyway, so maybe he would leave her alone so she could get to thinking more about the crash, " I was born to Lord Henshingly in Wimbledon, London and I am the Duchess of Saint Bridget." David seemed satisfied. "Cool, I guess I better go sit now."  
  
Lara watched as the little bugger walked back to his seat and sat down. Lara hated referring to herself as the Duchess that she was born to be. It was all nonsense to her. She didn't understand why it was so important. Why couldn't duchesses climb mountains or own guns? Lara was fuming at the thought of her parents denying her all of this, but soon, she relaxed. Now, she must think of the crash!  
  
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*A/N: Eidos made Lara the Duchess of Bridget... I did not make this up! It is in her official biography and whatnot. :) 


	3. Panic

After an hour the plane still hadn't crashed, and they were getting closer to the heart of the Himalayas. Jen came over to see if Lara needed anything, "It's been an hour! The plane still hasn't crashed." Lara stated firmly. "Quite right, Miss Croft." Jen hesitated, "The captain wanted you to know ahead of time. He suspects we should be "landing" anytime now; near the heart of the Himalayas. I don't think anyone will get out alive."  
  
Lara could sense that Jen was about to cry. Poor girl; she only looked about twenty. Lara herself was only twenty-one, but she had everything she needed to survive the crash- she had confidence. No one else would if unprepared. But if they were told, they would panic.  
  
Perhaps she could save a few people, no, she couldn't. Maybe Jen? No. Her mind was reeling questions at her so fast. She didn't know quite what to do. 'Be calm.' She repeated to herself. Deep, sharp breaths began to flow into her lungs. Why had the captain wanted her to know? Why was she different from anyone else? 'OK!' Her head screamed, 'Stop with all the questions! I have a bigger dilemma to deal with.'  
  
She peered out her window. Flying had never bothered her, heights either. Now, she had a terrible fright overcome her, but she knew that she had to be brave. Getting her bags situated, she happened to glance over at David. He was quite nervous. Could he possibly know? Gathering her thoughts, and her luggage, she made her way to the exit of the aircraft.  
  
"Ms. Croft!" A familiar voice came. "What do you plan to do? We don't have enough parachutes for everyone! Maybe you..." "Nonsense!" Lara hissed, "I plan to help by any means necessary. What did the captain say was wrong with the aircraft?" Jen looked at her with wide eyes, "He said the only way to fix it was to be outside of the plane, Miss." This was what Lara was afraid of, but she spied a parachute on a hook and secured it on her back. " I will do it, if you have the tools needed." She spoke somewhat slowly. Jen looked as if she could hug her and then ran hastily to the cockpit.  
  
In a few moments, Jen returned with a screwdriver, a ratchet, and some tools Lara, personally, had never seen. "These are the items you need to repair the air plane. The captain said it had something to do with the engine. The fuel supply has begun to leak, also. That cannot be fully repaired, but if you patch it up, we could certainly fly longer and possibly land properly." Lara nodded. That was all she could do. 'Damn.' How did I get into this? Well, I should have some fun!' She thought, again, her sense of humor occurring.  
  
A sudden jolt unexpectedly overcame the plane. Lara, surprised, tumbled down the aisle, hitting her elbow, sharply, in the process. Screams overcame the craft. Lara abruptly sat up, and got to her feet. "Everyone!" She yelled to grasp their attention, "Do not panic!" But fear had consumed everyone. Lara cursed under her breath. This was going to be harder than she thought...  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The intercom boomed, "Please stay seated! There is some turbulence up ahead. I trust you not to be worried. Please sit down and relax. Thank you." Lara raised an eyebrow. 'Sneaky, bugger.' She thought. Well, what was she supposed to do? She couldn't save anyone, and she couldn't very likely save herself. Should she just sit and wait? She could be killed! She decided to sit. She built a little barricade around herself with her bags; her seat belt couldn't be any tighter!  
  
As she sat, strapped to her seat, Lara thought of her life. She was only twenty-one. She was very adventurous and had dived out of planes, killed sharks, barracudas, wolves, and those pesky rig workers and thugs that were always after her. She would try anything at least once, but crashing wasn't on her list! Should she move away from the window? Lara clumsily slid into the middle seat of her row. Her eyes wandered through the rest of the plane. Children were clenched to their parents; attendants were huddled up in the back, and people that were flying alone, prayed. Her fingers nervously played with her seat belt; her head slowly turned towards that odd David person...  
  
She spied him with his head in his hands, crying. She felt a wave of pity for him splash into her. Why did she pity him? They both would meet the same treacherous fate!  
  
Ten minutes seemed like forever! Lara glanced at her Rolodex securely fastened to her slender wrist. Suddenly a painful jerk beat the plane. Screams of agony filled Lara's ears, but she kept herself cool as ice. At least everyone on this aircraft had someone to miss them! Some sort of family, friend, or lover would mourn them. Lara, however, would not have anything resembling that.  
  
No one liked Lara; she was a misfit, a rebel, if you will. Her family had disowned her because she wasn't one hundred percent proper. She couldn't help that she loved to be dangerous! She could always get out of tight spots, and manage to survive, but she couldn't help herself now! She felt scared and lonely, but she kept everything inside. Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do, but it was her only option.  
  
Soon, the plane started to fall; Lara could feel the plane descending deeper and deeper into hell. Closing her eyes, she hovered away from the window. She didn't pray, she didn't think about how much it would hurt, nor did she take the time to cry. How long would it take to reach the bottom, their un-chosen destination? She felt herself slipping into a state of unconsciousness. 


	4. Lone Survivor

Lara lifted her head cautiously. She let out a groan of frustration and scanned her surroundings. She couldn't feel the force of the plane moving any longer. Was she dead? Absurd! She didn't really believe in the after life. Lara tried to stand but she immediately collided with the floor above her. Wait, floor? She checked to be positive. The plane was completely capsized! Quickly and quietly she slipped like a serpent to the "floor". It was covered with pieces of broken glass and parts of the control panels and baggage. As Lara squeezed out of the crushed seats, she noticed her bleeding arms. She knew no pain as she searched frantically for survivors. There was no sign of any living being that she could see. She couldn't be the only survivor! She searched high and low for anyone who was still alive, then turned around as she heard her name.  
  
"Jen!" She cried and ran over to the girl and crouched beside her. "Miss... Croft." Jen managed to let the words escape from her bruised mouth, " You ... are... The only.... one alive...."  
"No!" Lara screamed, "You're gonna be fine! You're gonna be okay!" This torture was making her speak slang! Jen removed the curtain that was blocking the view of her stomach. Lara stared at the wound- it was the leg of a metal stool gouged through her abdomen. Lara shuddered. "Oh my god," she whispered, "I'm so sorry! I should have gone outside and...." Jen used the last bit of her strength to lift her finger up to Lara's lips, " I will always remember you, Miss Croft, always. You are the reason I am the way I am." She took a somewhat shaky breath and continued, "I went to school with you. You were my idol! I can't believe I actually got to meet you. I didn't realize who you were at first. When the captain told me, I freaked!" Her exclamations were merely little whispers in the wind. Lara gazed down upon her, "I could have never impressed you! I'm nothing to be like. My family even disowned me. I have no friends either." Lara shrugged. "You will always be everything to me, Lara." Jen's eyes began to close, "I tried to do everything you did. I even got hurt sometimes, hospitalized three times; but I tried to be like you! Now, I'll never get to try again." Jen did her impression of a sigh. "Thank you, Jen." Lara held her hand, "I will remember you always too." And with that, Jen's hand slowly slipped from Lara's soft grasp, lifeless.  
  
Tears started to form in Lara's eyes. She had never cried if there wasn't a true reason. Now there was. She had lost the only friend she had ever had. And she didn't know her for very long. She watched the blood slowly trickle down Jen's lifeless body. She couldn't imagine dying like that. Horrified, Lara made her way through the aircraft to the very back where she thought the kitchen was. She had made up her mind that she was going outside and scale down the mountain. There was no need to call for help because everyone was dead. Shaking that disturbing thought out of her head, Lara entered the kitchen.  
  
She would need supplies. She hadn't been outside yet, but she used common knowledge to figure out this problem. People would have come by now if there was any around. Problem solved, she began shuffling through the cabinets. She found mostly common airline snacks. She packed the Doritos and pretzel bags into her pack and began to search again. It was hard to find soda that hadn't already exploded, but she found at least 5 cans of assorted drinks and stuffed them into her bag as well. Candy! Jackpot. Lara dug her hands into the pile of candy that lay on the floor in front of her. Though she was twenty-one, she still loved candy. She always opted for Skittles and M&Ms but she had a hunch that she was going to be traveling for a while and she needed to get more than that!  
  
After a short time, Lara had packed candy, bottled water, soda, chips, and a large amount of sandwiches into her pack. She was ready to face the world! As she made her way to the exit at the front of the plane she looked at all the people, all the dead people. Some were still grasping on to their seats. Most were leaning on others next to them. Lara had never pictured death like this before. She stopped at David Barrington from New York. She extended her hand toward his un-breathing body to feel his neck. Ice cold. She reached into his pocket. Something stopped her. She had always been a rebel, but she couldn't bring herself to steal from a nice person. She wouldn't need money anyway. She slid a light blanket over him and paused. 


	5. The First Kill

'Shelter! Blankets! What am I supposed to do?' Taking the blanket off of David she shivered as she took out some of the precious food and slid in three or four blankets. 'That should do!' She thought, still not knowing what she was in for. What lurked in the shadows, at night? What would she encounter? Grabbing one of her bags, she slipped on an extra pair of wool socks and laced up her boots. She changed into some long, warm pants, and a leather jacket with fur trim around the hood.  
  
Five minutes later she was 'ready to face the world' as she had done so many times before. Taking one last cautious glance around the plane, and feeling slightly uncomfortable of all the pairs of eyes that seemed to stare at her, she laid her hands upon the door hatch.  
  
Turning her hand she discovered that the door wasn't quite following through. She backed up and sent a powerful blow to the door with a braced leg. As if it weren't hinged, the door fell to the snowy ground. A sharp gust of icy wind claimed Lara as she struggled to see what lied behind the doorway. Sensing no real danger, Lara stepped out the door and into unfamiliar territory.  
  
Once she was a good ten feet past the plane, the wind mellowed. Lara shuddered when she thought of wind being an enemy towards her. This terrain wasn't familiar, but it looked almost exactly like the grounds by the resort she stayed at for skiing. 'Of course, it wasn't.' Rolling her eyes and checking her guns, she explored.  
  
Of course she would travel down the mountain. What kind of fool would travel up? Inspecting the very steep slope, she came to the conclusion that this was not going to be easy. Taking a big breath, Lara jumped onto the slope and started wildly downward.  
  
Rocks and mounds of threatening snow seemed to leap in her "path". She had to grind her feet right or left depending on where interfering trees were. Completing a series of difficult jumps over the obstacles, Lara made, what she was sure of, a safe way down. Gazing ahead, Lara took back her last thought. She was not safe! Behind a small thicket she made out the shape of a vicious wolf. Lara slowly backed up. But the wolf wasn't about to be tricked. He was hungry! 'Okay.' Lara thought, 'I can do this! It's what training pays off for!' Then out loud, "Alright, wolf! Here's how I see it: You win- you get a full belly. I win- I get a new fur coat." Smiling wickedly Lara glared at the wolf that seemed, surprisingly, to understand. But having hunger claim it's body, the wolf pounced. Lara side-jumped to the right just in time, the wolf sunk its teeth into a bare evergreen branch. "I'd say I have the advantage." Said Lara to the wolf that turned on her once more...  
  
Drawing only one of her 9mms, (which she rarely ever does), Lara waited. Sensing a trick, the wolf tried to pull his own. Turning away from her, he trotted towards a cave. Suddenly he fell to the ground in a silent heap. Lara professionally twirled her gun around her finger and twisted the silencer off. "No one gets the best of me, wolf. I would have been in real trouble if you got your pack to come kill me." So the shot was for the best. And Lara had her new fur coat. 


	6. Almost Dinner

Finishing trimming her new coat with some scissors she managed to grab on the way out of the plane, Lara perked up as she heard almost silent, yet frightening growls behind her. Very slowly as to not trigger any sudden pounce, that would be to the animal's advantage, Lara reached for her guns, both this time. Then quickly, she rolled to face her opponent.  
  
Opponents actually. A whole pack of wolves faced her with wild eyes. Lara held her guns out towards the beasts. Then, in one swift movement, lifted her pack with her foot, flung it into her hands, holstered her guns, and ran. The wolves pursued in rage. Lara ran as swiftly as possible. Could she out run them? These were wild animals! She would have to hide somewhere. She couldn't shoot them all!  
  
Could wolves climb trees? But there were no trees in the vicinity. 'Damn.' Lara thought. Up ahead she spied a huge... chasm! She could not hurdle that! Turning around to make sure she still had pursuers, Lara stopped at the brink of the chasm. She peered down and saw a very small ledge. She might be able to land safely on that. That would stop the wolves! Speak of the devils. Thinking they got the best of her, the wolves surrounded her on all sides, except behind. Peering behind to make sure she was in place, Lara turned about and slid quickly down the side of the tremendous gap.  
  
She had to utter a scream; it was intense! Behind the wolves howled at her, seeming to beg her to come back so they could tear her limb from bloody limb. Her decision was made though. Trying to keep her balance without flailing her arms, Lara reached the ledge. It actually was bigger than she thought. Snow covered it and there was no speck of vegetation in sight. Looking up to make sure there were no foolish wolves following her, Lara planned her next move.  
  
She took out her binoculars and scanned the terrain. She peered over the edge and instantly fell back. 'How...? This isn't possible! Ugh!' Cautiously, she inched toward the brink and discovered what she dreaded the most below: Men. Not just any men. Rig Workers and Thugs. 'Awful, Awful, AWFUL!' Lara's head screamed as she inched away from the edge. 'What is this, 'Kill Lara Day'?' She huffed as she plopped herself down in deep thought. She slid herself backwards as far out of sight as possible and leaned toward the mountain of rock behind her. "Aaaah!" she couldn't help releasing as she tumbled backwards into the mountain. "Oof!" Lara picked herself up and lit a flare. She gasped as she looked over her surroundings...  
  
Intricate patterns of foreign language were displayed randomly around the cave. She stood in awe as her flare illuminated the words brightly. Snapping out of her daze, Lara realized she hadn't looked into where she really was. There could be other unknown treasures in the caves. Who knows? Lara's ears perked up as she heard slight breathing to her left. She carefully turned towards it while readying her hand to grab her gun from her holster. Her flare caught her a small sight of whatever it was. It leaped out of the light, not wanting to be discovered. But curious Lara had to have more than a glimpse! What was it, a wolf? 'Nah, it would've charged.' Lara moved her flare about more and more, but the thing kept fooling her!  
  
Lara thought. She rarely let her guard down in combat, and in fact, never. But, her curiosity had won. Could she trick it? It's worth a try! She sat down and opened her pack. She removed 2 sandwiches and some Doritos. "Mmm, Mmm, Mmm." Lara exaggerated taking bites of her meal, so slowly, it was annoying. 'Come out you blasted creature!' She thought steamily. She could hear it whine, wanting the food, but too scared to come get it. 'Perfect' Lara thought. She unwrapped the other sandwich and put it in front of her; At least 2 feet away. Whatever it was surly would come and eat if it didn't have to be so close to her. She waited.  
  
A splash of sudden success washed over her as the mystery creature started to come near. Lara snuck a look at what it was. Her eyes got large and soft at the same time. 'A baby wolf!' Lara's hard heart melted one degree as she gazed upon the starving pup. "Cute little bugger, aren't you?" She said comfortingly. Cautiously, the pup made it's way to the tantalizing smell of the sandwich. "You probably haven't had a bite to eat in days! Poor pup." Lara watched as the puppy woofed down it's meal. It was beautiful! Light silver and snow-white colors made it shine in the newly lit flare.  
  
After it finished it's meal, it still looked solemn. "What's wrong, li'l tyke?" Lara looked over at where the wolf had come from and immediately frowned. There was its mother, dead. Her head turned sharply to the wolf pup. 'It didn't do this. What did?' "We need to get out of here!" She scooped the remainder of her lunch and scooted towards the puppy. She whined at it, hoping it would get the sign of desperation. The pup cocked its head, looking adorable. Then it went into pounce position with its tongue hanging out. It trusted her! "Thank God!" Lara exclaimed as she scooped up the ball of fur. She went to make her way out of the cave. 


	7. Another Taken

At the entrance she paused to stand, remembering why she came into the cave in the first place. There was no way down without getting shot first. And this pup made it a trifle harder. Breathing sharply and exhaling slowly, Lara walked back into the cave. Instead of a flare this time, she used her flashlight. "This might take a while." She spoke dryly as she clicked on her flashlight and searched for a route. Finally, she found one. She headed towards it. But before she could leave, something inside grabbed a hold on her. Quickly, she dug in her pack and pulled out her camera. She snapped the whole wall of figures and departed through the exit: she hoped.  
  
It was damp and besides her flashlight, there was no other given light. The puppy was light in her arms but squirmed a lot! Lara put it down. Just then, it took off! "No, Pup! Come on! Don't put me through this!" Lara growled as she chased after the wolf pup. She ran through halls and more damp tunnels following the rascal, 'All this for a wolf? I'm getting too soft!' Lara thought absently as she dodged pieces of rock poking out of the ceiling. "Where are you going?" Lara begged for the wolf to answer, without reply.  
  
The caves seemed to echo and carry everything she said. Lara kept on pursuing the wolf when another sound filled her ears. "Huh?" Lara questioned, "I didn't make a sound. What was that?" Her eyes became large and hard. That thing, whatever it was, was stalking her! She put speed in her legs and ran harder, faster, finally catching up with the crazed puppy. Not stopping, Lara scooped up the wolf and darted. Growls seemed to be inches behind her.  
  
'Run Lara, Run!' the thoughts crowding her mind as she ran from the... the... thing. Vines dangled teasingly out of reach above her head and she was tempted to stop and jump for one; but she kept running. 'Why don't I just stop?' She questioned her teeming head. 'I have guns! This creature couldn't possibly be a match for my 9s!' The confident woman halted and backed into a corner. The pup cowered behind her, knowing what the creature looked like and what power it possessed. But unable to inform Lara, he just sunk deeper into the corner.  
  
Croft switched off her flashlight and readied her pistols. She waited. Soon enough, she heard the growl of what she was sure was only around the corner. Lara breathed hard yet softly, ready for her attacker. It came. She could hear its breath only meters away. Could she afford to light a flare? She needed to see what she was facing! She holstered one of her pistols and reached into her pack. In a split second she pulled out a flare and lit it. Uh, oh.  
  
Suddenly she wished she had not. The animal whirled its huge body around and stared hungrily and coldly at her. Why did every animal here want to eat her? 9s? Never mind! Lara wished vainly for her shotgun. 'Big bear. Very big bear.' Lara was in a trance by the massive muscles and tremendous power the bear appeared to embrace. She shook her head and looked towards the bear's immense jaws; She realized her mistake in stopping all of a sudden. But she needed to be rid of the beast so it wouldn't be rid of her first. Hot, sticky liquid dripped revoltingly into a bubbling puddle of grotesqueness. She watched the saliva plummet onto the ground nauseatingly. "No time for sick entertainment, Lara." She grinned wildly, " It's time for real fun!" The bear lumbered in the direction of sound and light. "Smart rabid bear!" Lara 'praised' it aloud. "One bears' head good and dead, coming up!" She pulled the triggers of her 9mms and let the bullets fly out towards the savage beast. A roar of rage and hatred followed the connection of the bullets and the bear's eyes flashed blood red. The whole cave began to tremble, momentarily leaving the bear in animal thought. Lara quickly dashed out of the tunnel and searched for light. Her prayers were answered! Light was straight above her! And below, jagged rocks. Ouch! "That might hurt." Lara's humor said plainly.  
  
She heard whining behind her and remembered the puppy. Lara's eyes filled with worry and concern for the wolf as she thought of what might happen to it. She turned back through the tunnel to find the puppy's body, crumpled, bloody, and dead. In pure shock she ran back through the tunnel. With newfound strength, she leaped into the air and grasped the vine. Her body ached painfully, and her hands threatened to let her drop into the rocky hell below her, but she scrambled up the trailing plant while the bear peered up at her body, waiting for her to fall into his overflowing jaws. 


	8. Bear and Barrington

A slender hand emerged from the snow as Michael rested under the shade of a lone tree in the unforgiving mountains. Startled, he grabbed his knife and backed away. It had nails. That meant it was a woman; women could be nice people. Michael considered and walked slowly over to the outstretched hand. He placed his knife down and took hold of the desperate hand in the snow. The hand seemed startled because it spun and twirled to get out of reach of its captor. Michael tugged on the hand hard and out came an arm. It still struggled as he gripped the limb with both hands.  
  
Below, Lara thrust her hand above her into the snowy earth. Looking down, she was surprised when something from above grabbed her hand. Fearing that it was a thug, Lara pulled and twisted her wrist. No matter how much it hurt, she would pull, even if it broke her wrist. She winced in pain as she felt her arm being yanked nearly out of the socket. Whatever it was, it wasn't letting go! The surface above her head, which captivated her arm, broke loose. Through the tangle of frozen dirt, she could make out a face, a male face. Yet, he didn't look blood hungry, or threatening, so she allowed herself to be pulled up by the strong arms.  
  
The remaining ground split apart and crumbled below. The bear, being rabid and all, thought it was Lara. A big surprise came when dirt crumbled into his mouth. Lara, not having looked at her 'savior' yet, pulled out her guns and blasted the bear with a couple of rounds to the head. "That should do." Lara hissed. Michael's eyebrows reached the peak of his forehead as he stared at the luscious woman in front of him. Lara, feeling his stare on her back, look up at him with innocent eyes. 'Might I play a game with this peasant.' She thought wickedly, smiling in her impious thoughts. She was too high class for him! She couldn't... But then again...  
  
Michael wiped the sweat from his face on his leather jacket and extended a hand to Lara. She brushed him off and stood up herself, "Hello." She said dryly, " What are you doing out here by yourself?" Michael looked as if he were about to ask her the same question as he stammered, "I got lost." Lara was hoping for more words to come out of his mouth, but none came. She cocked her head to the side and tightened her eyebrows, "Enough said then. Let's eat!" She headed towards the tree in which Michael once sat and opened her pack. Michael hovered very close to her. "May I ask your name?" Lara questioned softly. "Michael." He spoke almost silently, "Michael Barrington."  
  
Lara scooted a tad away from him at his last name being mentioned. Her eyes became confused and she felt very uncomfortable. "What's wrong ma'am?" Michael asked with a smile. Lara just stared at him blankly. 'It can't be. David...' She put her head down in a way she never did before: In sorrow and guilt. But she hadn't killed all those people! But she could have done something about it. Possibly getting trapped herself even. But David was dead. Was this a relative, his brother perhaps? She shook her head and dug out her opened bag of Doritos and her half-eaten sandwich. She gave a sandwich to Michael as well.  
  
The meal commenced in silence, but Lara wanted to know more about this second Barrington. Before she turned to talk to him, she noticed Michael looking at her, "Hey, stop!" She yelled suddenly. 


	9. Testing Out and Gaining Trust

"Huh?" Michael stammered. "Of you trying to play coy with me! Tell me why you're out here. You don't look like the most secure or strongest man I've seen. So why are you in a hazardous mountain alone?" She put on a rare smile and Michael felt his insides melt. He stammered, "Well, uh, see... I don't know." Lara looked at him, disgusted. How could he not know? He was playing with her! "Never mind then." Lara huffed and soundlessly ate her remaining lunch. "Thank You." Broke the silence between them suddenly. Lara looked up at the man. " For what?"  
"For the food. I haven't had any in days." Lara, officially confused, finished her chips and stood up. Her alert ears picked up the sound of a predator nearby; and her brain- a scheme. "Here we go again!" Michael looked up at her thinking she was crazy.  
  
He saw her strap on her pack and secure it. Her pistols reflected sun into his eyes as her coat blew slightly back. "May I ask what you're doing?"  
"When I tell you to run, you run- got it? If, that is, you want to be alive for next time." Michael nodded fiercely. What kind of a woman was this? She was strikingly beautiful, but shockingly scary! "Hey, do you mind calling my Mike instead of Michael cause..."  
"Run!" He watched Lara dart past him in flash. He clumsily followed her. "Just don't look behind you" Was all she said before gaining speed. "You're kidding!" Mike, surprisingly, didn't look back. Lara had no time to think about how smart he was for not looking. She had to run! Quickly, she dashed behind a huge boulder.  
  
"Lara! Where are you?" Was the call she heard from the naïve man walking aimlessly. He imagined another rabid bear racing towards them, or a pack of savage wolves with razor and unforgiving teeth. He suddenly found himself daydreaming about being ripped bloodily apart. Wolves tearing his flesh off his skin and not savoring it, but diving back into his body for more fresh meat. He imagined them emerging from his gory corpse with his intestines imbedded in their jaws of fate. Slowly, his body would become part of theirs, sliding down their throats and spiraling down into their bloated bellies. He shuddered and opened his eyes as he heard a familiar voice, "Psst! Mike, over here!" He immediately flew to where Lara was and breathed heavy, "What's chasing us?" He tried to let the words escape from his trembling lips. Would they be safe here? Lara stood up and dusted the soft snow off of her coat, "Nothing." Michael gaped at her. "Come along then!"  
  
"You know you scared the hell out of me, right? What's wrong with you? Do you honestly like terrifying people...?" He stopped suddenly as Lara turned around and shoved a pistol in his face, "What is this- interrogation? You want to hang around don't you? Then stop pissing me off!" She finished with her eyebrows raised. Then, a kinder smile appeared on the aggravated face, "Darling, if you're going to hang around me, I need to know things about you, not just your name." Michael sighed heavily in defeat, " I'm with the thugs..." He got no further for both pistols this time ended up in his face. "Okay, one minor detail you left out Thug, you're trying to kill me!" The enraged Lara screamed. "No, no! I... if you'd let me explain..." He smiled as she plopped him back onto the ground. "Thanks. Anyway, my mission was to seek you out and kill you." He said the last words carefully as he stared at her fingers by the trigger, "But one of my faithful comrades advised our leader that I was too weak for the job and I wouldn't stand a minute alone out here, let alone against you, Miss Croft." He saw her lower her weapons only a tad bit. I've been out here for three days. After I got the radio call from my brother David, I..."  
"David? He..." Lara was amazed.  
  
David Barrington! Mister nice-sounding city boy was her enemy! Well... was. Mike looked at her with uncertain eyes, the way he normally looks at her. "You know my brother?" Lara looked up, "No, I didn... uh, don't." She smiled fetchingly at him and he dropped the subject. 'Damn!' Michael thought. How could one woman have this much power over him? He'd killed women before. He didn't like to, but it was his job. He'd only kill people when his chief told him so. The whole reason they were they way they were, was to seek and destroy the infamous Lara Croft. Now that he had her, right in front of him, he couldn't do anything but blow his cover. 'Smart Mike!' He scolded himself as he covered his face with his arms.  
  
Lara narrowed her dark eyes at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Unsuccessfully, she tried to make short conversation, " Do you want to kill me now?" She praised herself as she spoke, putting him on the spot. "No! I would never think that. You're not such a bad girl as the guys said you were..."  
"And what exactly did they tell you, Mike?" Michael bit his lip as his brain urged him to continue. He inhaled lightly and began, " They said you were like an animal- a very hostile creature. They said you would kill anyone that talked to you and you deserved to be killed. They brainwashed me into believing that you were some sort of unforgiving monster! I can't believe I trusted them. Now I see you are just another person in the world doing what she loves best!" Lara was shocked. He perfectly described how she described herself! But was it a trick? She couldn't tell.  
  
She scooted closer to him as he continued, "They also said you were a slut and you used your body to stop men from automatically shooting you." He paused and realized whom he was talking to. He expected a larger gun this time, but all he heard was a soft ringing of laughter coming from her as she toppled over backwards. He smiled almost apprehensively, "What's so funny?"  
"Me, a slut? Preposterous! That's the most amusing joke I have heard in a long time! Thank you Mike." He beamed as she scooted towards him and embraced him shortly. 'Who would've imagined a well-known, beautiful, and athletic woman would be hugging him!' Michael beamed as they continued on to find a suitable place to sleep. 


	10. Bark and Die

Eventually, as the sun was disappearing beyond eyes reach, they found a cave. "Looks safe enough to me." Lara said as she emerged from it. "Safe enough?" Michael stammered, "What else, prey tell, would harm us?" Lara smiled mischievously, "Poisonous snakes, large rats, more wolves, rabid bears-the usual." Behind her, Michael stood in shock. "Uh, I don't do bears."  
"Really? I thought you might." She looked over her shoulder at him and grinned. "I think I'm becoming used to you, Miss Lara." Michael said before entering the stone cave. Lara smirked, "Or maybe you don't know me at all." Michael sighed. Boy was she difficult.  
  
Lara lit not a flare, but a match. It immediately illuminated the tiniest bit of unknown darkness. "Hmm... Homey" Was all Lara said before she slung her pack over her shoulder to take out her blankets for the night. She saw Michael, huddled in a corner and walked over to him. "You might need this." She whispered as she flung a wool blanket over him. He stopped shivering in gratitude.   
  
'What I would give for a hot bath in my mansion!' Lara contemplated lightly, 'And Jeeves there bringing me my morning tea.' Lara smiled secretly as she secured her gun belt to her waist in case she needed to spring out of bed in the morning to feed bullets to death-hungry thugs. She smiled again and settled in between her covers. It wasn't long before she fell into dreamless sleep.   
  
No Thugs came. Lara awoke and stretched out her arms towards the light of the morning sky, "Beautiful." She heard Michael say from outside, looking at her. "What is?" She asked nonchalantly. Michael looked at the sunrise before him, "Life- Life like this. Being wild and free has always been something I wanted, and now that I have it, it's..." He never finished. He closed his eyes and took in the marvel of the day, inhaling the crisp mountain air- one of the two things that took his breath away. Lara could guess what the other was. She never intended for him to take a liking to her, but as it was, she was okay with it. Not like she was going to fall in love or anything. It was always nice to have someone to talk to, especially since there was no one around for miles.   
  
Michael opened his eyes and glanced at Lara. Her hair mussed from her sleeping and her brown eyes slowly waking. He smiled, 'How could I kill her? She 's not at all like the guys said. But maybe she's fooling me.' He watched her take her dark hair out of the tight braid. It cascaded down her back in wavy heaps as she brushed it quickly and re-braided it. She stood up, "Let's go."   
"But it's so early! Why are we leaving now?" He didn't get a swift reply, only after five minutes did she finally answer him, "Other thugs won't be up. We must be part of the shadows and shadows we must be. You step out- you die. No skin off my back." Her sharp reply pierced his heart. 'She doesn't care for me. She's just trying to get home.' He walked beside her in silence.  
  
'What I would give for some action right about now,' Lara thought wickedly. Growling behind her actually startled her. "Wow I'm good!" She praised herself as she un-holstered both her pistols. "But those don't sound like wolves." She turned around and saw domesticated Dobermans. "Oh no!" She heard Michael whisper under his breath. "Lara, that means there are Thugs around here, they're gonna want me to kill you! I... if I don't, they'll kill me!"   
"Not if I can help it." Lara growled. She aimed her pistols at the beasts in front of her. "Wait! Maybe I can get the dogs to be on our side." Michael suggested helpfully, he thought. "Why?" Lara snipped, "They would get in the way and whine."   
"You don't have animals, do you?" Michael asked- his eyes fixated to hers, "Maybe they would give you a heart."  
"Hush you! I don't need your pitiful words to advise me. These dogs are as good as dead..."   
"You need someone to advise you." Michael sneered. Lara spoke without lowering her eyes or guns from the dogs, "You are a stubborn one, aren't you? I'll make you a deal- you make them help us without barking at us first and I won't blow them away. Deal?" She ended with an emphasis on her last word as she waited for a reply or action. Michael sighed and stepped gently forward. 


	11. Fear of Tears and Fear Itself

"Good doggies, don't bark now, or Miss 'WoMan' over there is gonna shoot ya." Michael made his voice smooth as honey as he neared the dogs. Lara watched him silently, trying not to smile. 'There's something about him, I must admit.' She thought. Michael pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it forward onto the snow in front of both dogs. While they ate, he neared them more. He became so close he could touch them. He cocked his head so he could read they're I.D. tags 'Looks like we're gonna have dogs on our side after all' Lara said to herself as she heard Michael exclaim, "Ronny! Jupiter!" The dogs' heads popped up from what looked like, beef jerky, and pounced on Michael. Their tails wagged violently and their tongues licked Michaels' face till he was sopping wet with dog saliva. Lara felt her expression soften as well as her heart as she lowered her guns for the first time today.  
  
"Un-bloody good show, Mike!" Lara grinned wildly as Michael stood up and settled the dogs. "Thanks" Was all he replied, but non-hostile. Jupiter sniffed around Lara and growled, razors bared. Lara, unsurprised at the dog's action, took a piece of jerky from Michael's outstretched hand and dropped it for her. Jupiter whined with pleasure. Ronny, feeling left out, moseyed over and got the same treatment. "Who'da thunk Miss Lara 'Killa' Croft would make friends with dogs?" Michael teased her. "Yes, and "Who'da thunk" Michael was still alive after he pissed off "Miss Lara "Killa" Croft"?" She teased back. "Well, I for one." Michael replied. "I knew you got too soft to kill me." He laughed, as he couldn't hold it in any longer. "Hmm... If I don't kill you, someone else will!" Lara replied, jokingly. But who knew how right she would be.  
  
Jupiter and Ronny proved to not be as Lara expected. They were loving dogs that were trained to kill. The problem was, they were trained to kill only one person, and that was Lara! They had her scent imbedded in their noses and could attack anytime, without warning. This worried her a bit, but she didn't tell Michael, lest he think she wasn't brave. Secretly, she longed for more than adventure. Michael enabled her to see beyond selfishness and hostility. She admired him, privately of course. She didn't want him to think he was better than her! But, there was that obstinate feature of Lara Croft.  
  
She was only twenty-one. And in those twenty-one years she had been to many different schools because her ex-father believed that children should be seen and not heard. Speaking of school, she was kicked out of one because she showed a "too keen interest in guns". 'Imagine that!' Lara thought wickedly. And now, when she tried to take a relaxing vacation, her plane crashes and she's stuck out in the wilderness! "How Ironic."   
  
In this short amount of time, Ronny and Jupiter started to take a liking to Lara. It was almost as if Lara was the Grinch and her heart was actually growing. She couldn't help but wonder why she held back from the more beautiful things in life. "It seems your dogs like me."  
"Who wouldn't?" Michael asked and then turned a light shade of crimson. Lara had to smile. He reminded her so much of David. She shuddered at the thought that she had killed his brother and not told him. 'But I didn't kill him! I didn't make the plane crash!' Lara's mind was reeling questions into her brain again and again; it made her so confused! She had an idea, "Why don't we stop early? I'm not in a hurry to get off this mountain." 'Not like I have anything to do or anyone to meet.' She silently finished. Michael agreed after he finished bashing his head for how "stupid" he had sounded.   
  
"If you don't mind me asking, Miss Croft, where do you live?" Lara sighed, "I used to live with my father and mother, until they disowned me. I reside in England still, but far away from my old parents." Michael felt a wave of sorrow crash into him as he listened to her speak, 'How could anyone disown this beautiful creature? She was perfect- adventurous, smart, cunning, and not to mention attractive.' He asked her, with the acceptance of his added description. Lara inhaled, letting her chest rise and fall before she answered, "I just wasn't perfect." Her disappointed look made Michael hate her father. He scooted closer to her and put his arm around her shoulder, "Lara, you didn't have to be aristocratic. You were born to live like this, having adventures. Even if he didn't disown you, you would still have urges to disobey him; then you would feel guilty." She looked up at him with filling eyes. She tried to speak, but she just broke down into tears. No words were spoken; Michael just held her.  
  
An hour must have passed, but Michael didn't mind the woman in his arms. Suddenly, Lara sat up, "I must sound so stupid to you." She sobbed, drying the remaining tears from her brown eyes. Michael turned her head towards him, "You could never sound stupid to me." He leaned into her but quickly paused as a sharp blast pierced the day and silent moment. Turning his head quickly, he saw what he feared the most...  
  
"Hey, Mike! We knew you could get that bitch!" A burly man huffed. A second appeared, then a third. "Never doubted you a second." Another one said. The third just licked his lips; he stared at Lara hungrily. She almost felt herself hurl. She quickly pulled out both of her pistols and pointed them at the Thugs, "All of you, stay away!" Then under her breath, "Run Michael. I'll catch up!" Michael jumped to his feet and ran. "Oy! Now why he gone an' done that?" The second Thug asked. "No time for questions, boys. As I always say, 'Men don't move in Lara Croft's presence unless they want to get their ars... Oof!" Michael looked back and saw Lara, crumpled on the floor with the Thugs standing over her. 


	12. Death

Michael stopped and turned on his heels, he ran fiercely, back to where the Thugs were. "Oy, Mike, why'dja tear off like that?" The thug asked gruffly. Michael hesitated, "I... wanted to keep her trust when she told me to run, that's all." Two Thugs nodded but the first stepped closer to him, "You're lying to us, Mikey! I think you and the wench had somethin' happenin' before we got here. You like her, don't you?" Before Michael could answer the Thug spat in his face, "I knew it! You know the penalty for being within five feet of that slut is? Not worse than the one you're gonna face! You were freaking five millimeters of her and you failed to kill her!" The Thug breathed in, "The penalty, is death." Michael's eyes got large, "You can't kill me! I..."   
"Watch me." The Thug replied dryly. The last thing Michael saw was the back of his eyelids.  
  
"Drop 'er ova they'a." Lara made out as she opened her eyes. She found herself in a room with scant light and a table in the middle. On top was...oh no! Michael was lying there, knocked out, maybe even... Lara picked herself off the numbing floor and stumbled to Mike. "Mike, Michael, wake up!" Her voice was trembling and desperate, she jumped as his hand moved to hers. He smiled, "Lara, they're gonna kill me..." Lara felt herself die inside as she realized what he said. "No, you're not going to! I won't let them!" She reached for her pistols... They weren't there! Blast! They disarmed her. "You are going to die." She said in disbelief. "Before they come, there is something I wanna tell you..." Michael didn't get any further.  
  
Lara spun her head around to the creaking of the iron door behind her. Out stepped a brawny man with Lara's guns. "Hey, bitch. Want your guns back? I know you just can't wait to kill someone." He sneered and spat on the ground. "Yes, I would like to kill someone." She replied coolly. The Thug grinned, "Too bad it's gonna be your boyfriend," And with that, he dropped the guns on the floor and left the room. Lara ran over to her guns, "Empty, of course! Wanted to make it a bit harder, didn't you?" She looked up as two dark figures entered the room.  
  
"Hello." She heard a woman's familiar voice say. Lara looked perplexed, 'One of these big figures couldn't possibly be a woman!' Then she saw a shapely figure step past the two burly men, "Don't think these men will kill you, Miss Croft; be more afraid of me." The mysterious yet familiar woman turned on her heels out the door. Lara saw the two men smile, "Time to say goodnight to little Mikey." The Thug said savagely. Lara felt her insides grow weak; how could she kill her friend? No, he was more than that! "You can't make me kill him." Lara stuck out her chin defiantly. One strode forward and grabbed her chin, "Don't bet your life on that. You don't kill him, we kill him anyway; this way is just far more entertaining." A pause, then, "Jupiter! Ronny! Make this slut convert to our cause." The dogs sat there. "What are you waiting for?" He yelled angrily, "Get her! Fine, fine; get out you worthless beasts!" He reached in his pocket and handed Lara bullets to her gun. The two Thugs picked up Michael from the table and held him against the wall, standing on both his sides. 'This is suicide!' Lara thought, ' They know I'm going to kill them!' She smiled wickedly and aimed for Michael.  
  
She saw Michael's eyes get large as she aimed both the pistols at him; he was drenched with sweat. "Dear Michael, I'm afraid it's time for you to go." Her eyes glinted with pleasure as she reached up the leg of her pants and got her silencer, the Thugs' jaws dropped. Expertly, she twisted it on, "Bye, bye, Thuggies." She widened her aim and shot with both guns. The two big lugs fell to the floor, blood trickling from the holes in their foreheads. "Mike," Lara ran to him. "We must get out of here!" She picked up the keys from an ex-Thug and unlocked the door. As she set foot outside the chamber, an intercom boomed from overhead, "Ah, Lara, you are smart, but I am smarter! We're in the middle of the ocean, there's nowhere for you to run. Meet me in the captain's room. It's time for a showdown." The voice ended as quickly as it had begun. "Looks like were off to the races!" Lara smirked.  
  
Sooner or later, Lara found the captain's room. She held both her pistols in her hands as she searched for the woman. "It's about time you got here, Croft!" Lara turned around and gasped. It was... her! Lara was standing right in front of herself! It wasn't a mirror, it was... her. "I can see how confused you are Lara. But I've heard that in death, all life's' questions are answered, so why don't you find out." Quick as a flash, Lara aimed her guns and shot. To her surprise, the other Lara was just as swift as she was! "You can't beat me, Croft, I was genetically enhanced to be one notch better than everything you can do." The clone back flipped and shot, so quickly, that Lara had no idea what happened. She winced in pain. The clone smiled, "See? I can do something, before your brain can even process! I'm so wonderful. And you know the best part? I'm evil. And evil people always get what they..."  
  
The clone backed up in agony. Lara stood, "...deserve. And you know the best part?" Lara mimicked the clone, "You talk too much." Hours went by, and still no Lara was dead. It seemed the enhanced one was still no match for the real. But how? A swift blow to the head cut off Lara's train of thought. She was knocked against the wall and the clone was nearing her, ready to use her gun. "Bye Croft." She said evilly. The bullet blasted out and headed toward Lara; she didn't have enough strength to move, this was it. Her journeys and her life were coming to an end. Her eyes picked up a flicker of skin darting in front of her and she looked on the ground to see Michael, bleeding. Lara ran to him, "Mike! Why did you do that?" She stroked his hair, "Because I lov..."   
Enough of this." The clone screeched. She picked up Michael and twisted his neck, dropping him to the ground. Lara glanced at Mike. 'So that was it, he's dead now; it's all over.' "No," Lara raised herself from the ground, " it's not over."  
  
Quicker than the clone could raise a limb to block Lara's kick, she was on the ground. Lara felt herself getting stronger. "Now, it's personal." Lara and the clone fought again more vigorously than before. They fought until the wee hours of the morning when finally, "Now Croft, this is the last time I'm saying goodbye to you, so die this time!" Lara was pinned under the weight of her competitor, she couldn't move. Now, it was over. "I'm going to kill you the same way Michael died." Lara found herself grabbed by the neck. And...twist. Croft was dead.  
  
The other Lara gazed at the dead one. "Pity you had to die. I thought we had a resemblance." Lara steered the boat and headed for shore. 


	13. The Good

As Lara stepped out of her car, she looked at the old mansion with narrowed eyes, "It's time for some change here." Lara burst through the door; she saw Jeeves, her butler, scurry to greet her, "Miss Croft," He bowed his head. "Jeeves, we're going to tear this place apart." She grinned as she placed her finger on her chin, "Hand me a drawing book and pencil. We are going to remodel this dump. Old Lara is gone, the new one will rule!"   
In time, Lara had sketched every room of her house, the exterior as well. "This bed has to go, and these curtains... ugh! No time to waste, Jeeves, call a carpenter, interior and exterior designer, painters, sculptors, pool builders, gardeners, and... The pizza boy!" Jeeves hustled to the phone and made his calls while the "new" Lara made more modifications. "Ooo, and call a clothing designer!"  
  
Within an hour or two, everyone Jeeves had phoned was there. Lara was busy giving orders, being sized, and eating pizza. "I want an extra room built for my pool, and another one for training." Lara felt her body flush with excitement, "Sheesh, this is fun! Old Lara was so boring."   
"What exactly do you have in mind for your first outfit?" The clothing designer (Becky), asked. Lara thought, "I want a cat suit; a black one. You know, made out of leather. And then I want some gray and white camouflage pants. Oh, and some khaki shorts with a black belt. Is that enough for now?" Becky looked up, "Whatever you want, Miss Croft." "I think that's enough for now; can you make these by yourself, or do I have to stay here?"  
"No, I have the sizes, you can go." Lara scurried away to the kitchen where the designers were putting in marble tops and making the room more colorful. 'All's well here.' She thought. Next, she hurried upstairs to her bedroom. The people there were setting new furniture and 'getting rid of those horrid drapes!' Lara almost gagged at the one's that were there before.   
  
Lara surveyed her home and everything seemed to be in order. "Now, I need to see Becky." Lara looked over the railing and smiled, 'It's clear.' she said to herself. She stepped back from the railing. Everyone stared as Lara jumping from the second floor. She landed with a thud and nonchalantly walked to Becky. "Do you make boots?" Becky nodded, "Alright then, I need some black one's to match my cat suit. Then, I need some more tank tops; Make them in blue, green and black only. No bright shades. Next, I need some garter belt sort of things. Not fluffy and stuff, but plain. We'll discuss dresses later. When do you expect to be done with all of them?" Becky stared at her long list, "A couple weeks at the most." Lara nodded and went to check on her added rooms.  
  
Before Lara knew it, everyone had gone. "Jeeves, I want you to call three more people."  
"Yes, Miss Croft." Lara eyed him, "Jeeves, I call you by your first name, it's only polite to call me by mine. And talk once in a while! From now on, things will be different." She sighed happily as she told Jeeves who to call.  
  
Lara glanced at the clock, 8:00. Just then, the doorbell rang. Jeeves went to the door, but Lara opened it, "Hello, and you are?" A muscular man of average height walked in, "I'm the car builder/mechanic." Lara nodded and told him what she wanted, "I want a motorcycle, dirt bike, four-wheeler, an Astin Martin, and a jeep. Can you make snow and water vehicles as well?" He nodded and she continued quickly, "Then I want a jet ski, sea-doo, and a snow-mobile. That should be it." The mechanic's jaw dropped, "You better be rich Miss, cause all this is gonna cost you." Lara's face went serious, "Who are you to inquire that I would be poor? You just make the vehicles and don't ask any questions, got it?" Her voice was filled with venom. "Uh, yes ma'am." Lara shuddered. "Uh... Miss." She smiled, "That will be all. I will pay you when I get everything I want. Thank You." And with that, she shut the door. Lara sighed as she heard the doorbell ring, again. "Hello ma'am, you called for an electrician?" Lara agreed and showed him around the house, "I would like a full security system. I would also like you to take my televisions I have now, and exchange them with larger ones. I need a few more laptops and a normal computer. Oh, and a stereo system would be nice. A surround one, if you will." Soon, the man had everything he needed and Lara answered the door for the last time that day, for the masseuse.  
  
A month went by and Lara Croft had everything finished. Her house was totally renewed. Her good girl look had vanished, and the bad, sophisticated Lara was born. She went from classical music to U2 and Nine Inch Nails. For once, she was happy. She remembered back a month ago on her wild journey through the Himalayas; how many people had died in order for her to learn a valuable lesson. She grinned, 'How stupid the old Lara had been.' But in her heart, she couldn't help but wonder what would have happened to Jen, the pup, David, and Michael, if she weren't born at all. "Absurd," she said aloud, "I am alive, and I can't change the past. I'm grateful." She downed the last of her champagne and went to the dog kennel. She came home later with two Dobermans and a Great Dane: Danger, Cunning and Fearless- Perfect names for Lara Croft's pets.  
  
I casually saved my typing and closed my laptop. I was the new Lara Croft. My dogs lie at my feet, content, as I pried them off. "There's another book about my life." And it's good to know that I killed the clone. Hehe. What a page-turner! Only to find out if I died or not. Why do you think I named my dogs what they are? Cause I'm Danger, Cunning, and Fearless.   
  
LOG OUT 


End file.
